When the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogsmeade station, the students poured out of the carriages and began to climb into the 'horseless carriages' that would take them to the castle. Not rushing toward the carriages, Hermione, Lavender, Harry and Neville escorted Luna, Ginny and Colin to the small boats they would ride along black lake to approach the castle from the water with the magical lights displaying Hogwarts in all her glory.
Percy Weasley joined them, picking his sister up and swinging her around so that she laughed for a moment. Once the three firsties were loaded into a boat, Percy led the second year Gryffindors back toward a waiting carriage. They noticed Hagrid at the docks but the half-giant was crying into a handkerchief large enough to create a tent for four men to sleep inside.
The ride to the castle was joyful as the friends laughed about their train ride and the good feelings everyone seemed to have for the coming year at Hogwarts. Percy had duties as a prefect so he left Harry and the others at the main door to follow the other students into he Great Hall. Just as they were going inside, he saw the firsties being led into the entry hall by Professor McGonagall and waved once again.
"Hey, Harry, did you notice Ron and the twins are missing?" Neville asked once they were seated. The Gryffindor table was quiet and there had been no cries of distress from someone jinxed or hexed by a 'joke' product of the twins from any of the four tables. Glancing around the Great Hall, Harry noticed that there were several students at the Slytherin table who could not meet his eyes, but Draco did once and inclined his head properly. Harry returned the pureblood gesture and did not give the boy another thought.
"I think Ginny and Percy spoke about something but I didn't ask for any details," Harry said. "According to your grandmother that would be completely unacceptable for the heir of an ancient and noble house to poke into someone else's business."
Neville snickered while Hermoine rolled her eyes and the table remained quiet. When Hagrid entered the hall, his eyes still red from crying, Harry hurried to the half giant's side and offered some comfort.
"Harry, you're a good boy. Thank ye for asking but I'm just sad 'cause my spiders are dying."
"Spiders? What spiders?" asked Harry. "I always had pet spiders when I lived under the stairs at my relative's house."
"When I was a boy here at Hogwarts, I bought Aragog. He was an Acromantula spider and after he grew up, I bought him a wife. They have a large family in the Forbidden Forest."
Remembering some stories about giant spiders in the forest, told by other kids in the common room last year, Harry asked, "How big do these Acromantula spiders grow?"
"Aragog and his biggest kids are the size of a cow."
"A cow? How many are there?"
"There's about a thousand of 'em and they're the size of cow when they be grown."
"The size of a cow?" asked Harry, growing concerned about these spiders.
Hagrid blubbered some more and sat down on a step to explain, "But they be gone now. Last spring, just after you and Mr. Longbottom saved that unicorn, the spiders began to die. First it was just one dying each week, then the others started getting sick. They eat their dead ye see and spread the sickness to their nests. No babies all summer…the little ones died first."
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As the last large spider died from the 'fever' spread by Tom Riddle's ragged piece of his soul still burning from Harry Potters 'friend fire' spell, the few remaining small spiders injected their venom into their parent and after an hour, feasted on the poisoned juices. The colony of Acromantula spiders would be extinct by 2 September and Riddle's soul piece hurried through the forest, still burning and seeking some host to carry him further and faster away from Hogwarts.
Travelling across Britain, Tom Riddle attempted to possess a wizard who was hunting hippogriffs in the New Forest. The man immediately began screaming as the Friend Fire spell burned him from inside. But Riddle managed to force the wizard to cast fiend fire at a tree. As a large snake of fire formed from the spell, Riddle left the wizard behind as the man collapsed into burning coals and leapt into the fiend fire, attempting to find something that might help control the fire. There was a battle between the fresh fiend fire and the small, much older friend fire that Potter had cast on Riddle months before that left the fiend fire dying away quickly as it shrank. Tom's soul piece found the embers of the friend fire were diminished somewhat and he was able to flee, not ceasing his flight until he reach Albania where a magical forest was home to many kinds of creatures, some that were based in fire and offered possible hosts for a time.
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The sorting ceremony began on time without the appearance of George, Fred, or Ron Weasley. Percy was tight lipped about his missing brothers and the other members of the Quidditch team grew concerned for the games they would have to play possibly without their veteran beaters.
As the children were sorted into one of the four houses, Harry kept an eye on the door and on Hagrid who was slow to recover. Among the three students that Harry watched, Colin Creevey was sorted in Gryffindor quickly, followed by Luna Lovegood who sat under the hat for almost three minutes. The sorting hat laughed after talking with Luna and its smile was as broad as the brim of the hat for the rest of the evening. The final student to be sorted that evening was Ginny Weasley and again the hat sat upon her head for three minutes, the pair of them talking quietly.
"Better be Gryffindor!" shouted the hat as McGonagall lifted it from the youngest Weasley's head and she ran to her brother Percy at the Gryffindor table for a hug and kiss on the cheek. Then the headmaster called for the feast to begin, and the tables were suddenly loaded with massive amounts of food and the Great Hall was filled with loud and happy voices.
In the middle of the feast, the doors of the Great Hall were thrown open as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived with Amelia Bones, a dozen Aurors, Fred and George Weasley, and Ron. The youngest son immediately made his way to the end of the Gryffindor table and began to fill a plate with food and eating as though he had been starved for a month.
Harry noticed that Director Bones, not Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, was the adult who sent Fred and George to the table where they were met by Percy and Ginny for hugs before the twins sat at the table with their friends and began to eat. Percy brought his sister closer and Director Bones collected the wands from both children before allowing them to hug their parents. Harry glanced at Susan who watched her aunt's action with great interest. Neville whispered, "Wonder what happened?"
"It is strange," Hermione agreed but kept her other opinions to herself.
The students all watched as Director Bones with two Auror guards approached the staff table with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley under guard. Behind a privacy screen, Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore were questioned about some matter that involved the Weasley family. Headmaster Dumbledore was angry and yelling at one point while Professor McGonagall simply looked as if a headache had returned unexpectedly. The headmaster, deputy headmistress and Mrs. Weasley were all dosed with headache relief potions at the end of the conversation.
Professor Snape refused to look at the Gryffindor table, left before Dumbledore could speak to him, and hid in his brewing lab for the whole of the month of September. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley returned to the Burrow where their wands were returned and they were admonished to forget any matter that dealt with Harry – you-know-who. Fred and George were fine once friends loaned them the necessary textbooks for the year, and Percy Weasley found an incentive that kept Ron from having headaches.
"Ron, this is a magical plate of biscuits. It holds almost four dozen different flavours and you are the only person who can eat them…the only person who can see the plate here in the common room."
"What do I have to do to get 'em?" Ron asked carefully. He could feel a headache brewing in his brain and wanted the biscuits pretty bad after almost a week in muggle detention and then DMLE lockup.
"Use your magic to promise to not think of Harry Potter for the next month and you'll get a plate of biscuits just for you every night. And any you don't eat before you go to bed you can stick into your pockets to eat between classes the next day. But when you come back the common room and complete your homework, you get a new plate of biscuits."
"I have to study too?" whined Ron.
Percy nodded and said, "Forty-eight biscuits just for you if you promise not to think about Harry Potter and do your homework."
"I'll do it!" Ron promised. Percy took his brother through a mild magical contract of a sorts that meant for the whole of September and the first week of October, Ron's magic would block any thoughts of Harry Potter but require Ron to do his homework in return for four dozen biscuits each night that the house elves would provide on the magical plate.
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In the weeks that followed that first night at Hogwarts, Gryffindor House enjoyed a good beginning – Ron did study and then ate many biscuits. But by the second week, he could not eat more than three or four after completing his homework. To the great surprize of everyone, Ron began sharing the biscuits with his dormitory mates, even that strange fellow he kept forgetting about while he kept up his homework and even helped Ginny, Luna and Colin with their assignments from First Year classes.
When the first of October came around, Harry began looking and listening for signs that Iggy would awaken. But the magical cloak continued to just be a magical cloak. Dumbledore apparently suffered some spectacular headaches but Professor McGonagall seemed to have learned to not think about you-know-who and while she did not call on him in Transfiguration Class, she did answer any question he asked by calling him, 'Mr. Longbottom'.
On the second of October, Hedwig arrived with a special letter for her Harry Potter – it was from DMLE Director Amelia Bones and the contents informed the young wizard that after a careful and extensive investigation, his magical guardianship had been transferred to Lady Augusta Longbottom. She would be his guardian until such time as Harry became an adult. Even more exciting for Harry, this meant that henceforth he would spend all holidays and summers with the Longbottom family. As an aside, Director Boones reported that the Dursley family had immigrated to another country (unknown) and vanished. Their former residence on Privett Drive had been sold to a development corporation that tore down the entire street of houses to begin construction of a high-rise apartment building.
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Professor Pretzel of course kept her own counsel but spoke briefly to Harry and Neville about that new development. She congratulated Harry on his comportment and good manners while not expressing an opinion on the preferences for pure-blood society or muggle culture. This pleased both boys and their friends as they thrived under her tutelage. Her reports back to Gringotts were well-received and informative and well-received by the goblins who had cut Dumbledore off from the Potter vaults.
Unfortunately, the time spent in the DADA class was a total waste of time for every year at Hogwarts. Owls sent home with complaints were never received but eventually, a mail delivery system was developed by ingenious students who walked outside the wards to call their owls before giving the bird the letter to deliver. When Professor Flitwick learned about 'some problem' with the owls, he and Professor Sprout used the same method to inform the governors and the DMLE.
Director Bones returned to Hogwarts with several Aurors who worked diligently for an entire afternoon before forgetting everything they had learned. The next week, three Unspeakables appeared in the castle and began casting spells. Hogwarts herself interfered this time when the headmaster attempted to cancel the spells and obliviate the wizards. As long as he remained headmaster, Dumbledore's control of the castle was his to direct so long as it did not break any law. Blocking communications of a specified topic was not 'unlawful' so long as it did not break a law. The terrible instruction by Professor Lockhart was gossip and deplorable but not unlawful.
Many more defence and spell books were owl- and elf-ordered that month and self-study classes formed in every house for each year, though there was overlap between years in every dormitory. Flitwick and Pretzel made themselves available to each dormitory for help with defence instruction – attack and shielding. Madam Pomphrey began appearing at the different classes when no one needed attention and she taught the students many shields, reviving, and battlefield healing spells.
When Professor Lockhart professed an interest in duelling tournament, Percy Weasley offered to duel the professor in the opening minutes. Fred and George were unusually quiet about their brother's putting himself forward and the other students in Gryffindor house waited to see what happened.
Curious to see what happen, Professor Flitwick put up professional grade wards around a duelling platform and signalled the two contestants to begin. Lockhart immediately began speaking about shields and spells he used in one of his 'books', while Percy assumed the proper duelling stance with his wand at the ready, watching Lockhart's body movements. When the loquacious Lockhart finally cast a spell, Percy's wand appeared to catch the spell and throw it back at Lockhart along with a chain of three other spells.
The DADA professor was spelled bright pink, tied-up, drenched with water and petrified after fifteen seconds. With a casual 'expelliarmus' spell to summon his opponent's wand, Percy Weasley had won the duel. There were loud applause from all the students and the professors present. Only after the students had dispersed and the wards were removed did Professor Flitwick ask Madam Pomphrey to revive Professor Lockhart. The wizard was confused for several minutes – Percy had used a medical petrification spell used to subdue unruly patients. The man's hair and skin remained bright pink for two full days because of the power Percy had learned to throw in his spells.
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Finally, it was Halloween. Harry, Neville, Luna and their crew made their way to the Halloween feast without much fanfare where there was ample food, drink and sweet desserts. It was noted by several people that Ron Weasley only ate a regular meal and added only one extra dessert. During the walk back to the Gryffindor tower, the students came upon a petrified cat and a crude message written in some sticky red substance – someone melted a bunch of hard red candies to have a substance that might resemble blood to write, 'Mudbloods Beware! The Heir Will Drive You From The Castle' on the wall around the petrified pet.
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[What's wrong?] Iggy asked Harry. [Between you and Hogwarts calling my name, how is a magical entity supposed to get any sleep around here? Is the bracelet working okay?]
[I missed you Iggy and really need you to help me figure out… help us figure out what's going on,] Harry said, the relief to have Iggy back evident in his voice even if it was silent and just in his mind. The young wizard explained about the discovery of the petrified cat and the message on the wall.
[Written in blood?]
Harry replied, [No, just in melted candy. It was sticky and began to drip down the wall before the elves came to clean it away.]
Iggy seemed to think for a moment before he said, [Tonight while you sleep, I'll look at your memories. Maybe there is some clue there.]
Harry didn't remember a thing from Iggy looking at his memories the next morning, but the cloak wanted Harry to make certain he laid his hand on Neville's shoulder for a moment before breakfast.
[Why are we doing this?] Harry insisted on knowing.
[I want to make certain he's not possessed by some dark object that Mr. Malfoy slipped into Neville's robes or bags.]
[Neville? No!] Harry declared and he made a point of throwing one arm around Neville's shoulders that morning as they waited in the common room for Hermione, Luna and the other girls to appear before walking down to breakfast.
[He's clear,] Iggy reported.
And while they walked down to breakfast, Luna dropped back to walk beside Harry for a moment and she whispered, "Hello Iggy. I have looked forward to meeting you. I think you have awakened just in time to help Harry and Neville save Hogwarts before Christmas."
"What?"
Luna smiled and assured her friend, "I see Iggy here with us for many years. He'll learn to listen to you better in a few years. He's like a brother who never grows into being an adult. That's fine, he'll be great when you have kids…"
She paused and looked ahead toward their group of friends and added, "We just have to survive the next three years at Hogwarts."
[Three years! Oh, Merlin Love a Duck!] Iggy swore as Harry was torn between worry and wanting to chuckle.
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At Malfoy Manor, Narcissa cast a spell to place her husband into a medically induced coma while cursing his existence in the world. His unwillingness to share his secret with her meant she had stooped to dosing him with veritaserum while he slept. Once she woke him up and questioned him about his latest efforts to thwart Dumbledore, light magic, and the ministry she did not find the answers she sought. Asking quickly about her husband's attempts to harm Harry Potter, he screamed the answer, "I sent a soul jar of the Dark Lord to Hogwarts. It will possess a student, release the Dark Lord once again and some monster to cleanse the castle of the mudbloods and half-bloods."
"What child has it – tell me!"
"McMillian boy! I put it into the McMillian boy's bag!"
Then she stupefied Lucius, and then cast the spell to place him into the coma.
Narcissa spent more than three hours debating what steps to take.